https://featherleatherdesigns.com/blogs/blog-inspired-by-life.atomFeather Leather Designs - BLOG: Inspired by life2020-05-26T11:45:00-04:00Feather Leather Designshttps://featherleatherdesigns.com/blogs/blog-inspired-by-life/finding-our-new-normal2020-05-26T11:45:00-04:002020-05-26T11:45:03-04:00Finding Our New NormalMary Beth Holdford
Like you, FLD is working to find our new normal for this summer and beyond. Therefore, we wanted to say thank you and provide a few important updates.

Like you, FLD is also working to find our new normal for this summer and beyond. Therefore, we wanted to provide you with a few important updates. But first, we wanted to say thank you for allowing us to continue to do what we love during this challenging time. It brings us such joy to still sell our beautiful leather and cork earrings to those who love the pop of color, the little 'pep in the step', or the sense of normalcy that FLDs provide. We have been overwhelmed by the support our small, family business has received.

It was our privilege to provide free shipping throughout the stay-at-home order, as a way of protecting our local customers who rely on local pick-up and thanking our long-distance customers. However, because we are committed to maintaining affordable product pricing, that is not a sustainable practice for us. Effective June 1, we will resume our offer of free shipping on all earring orders $35 and up.

Also effective June 1, we will resume our convenient local pick-up option in Twinsburg, Ohio. The pick-up address is emailed to you once orders are filled and ready. The bin will be cleaned daily, but we encourage you to sanitize your hands before and after pick up.

Earring displays will also be available for online purchase on June 1. Our displays come in four different styles and colors. Additional shipping rates will apply due to the size of the display.

We recently received word that outdoor markets in Ohio will resume in June, with a number of safeguards in place. We have made the difficult decision to hold off on participating in any markets in June. We are evaluating our participation in individual markets in July and beyond on a case-by-case basis and will share details about those markets soon. Our current event schedule is posted here.

Finally, we would love to resume one of our favorite aspects of customer engagement, in-home parties. However, due to the confinement of people and our product in homes, coupled with the uncertainty of Ohio weather for outdoor options, we have made the difficult decision to hold all parties virtually for the remainder of 2020. This option will still include hostess rewards, along with free shipping and some fun offers. More to come on that soon, but if you’d like to schedule a Virtual Sip n’ Shop, please message us on Facebook or Instagram, or email us at info@featherleatherdesigns.com.

Again, we are so appreciative of your support during this unprecedented time. We hope you stay healthy and positive, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Cheers,

Mary Beth, Kelly & Carol

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https://featherleatherdesigns.com/blogs/blog-inspired-by-life/oh-what-fun-it-twas2020-01-10T14:13:00-05:002020-01-10T14:26:47-05:00Oh, What Fun It 'Twas!Mary Beth Holdford
"If you don't laugh, you'll cry" was the best advice our mom offered as we experienced the joys and frustrations of our first full holiday season! We hope you enjoy our list of the Top 10 FLD Follies of the 2019 season!

This past Monday, we had our first FLD team meeting of the year. We spent the majority of the time planning for the new year, but it also served as the perfect opportunity to reminisce about the joys we experienced as a retailer during the holiday season.

We’ll start by saying that we are hopeful everything YOU saw and experienced as a customer was positive, and you felt that we had it all together. Because we truly did, about 80 percent of the time. The other 20? Well, we’re going to be honest with you. Despite our very best efforts, nothing could have prepared us for what happened late last year!

So drumroll please, as we share the Top 10 FLD Follies of the 2019 holiday season….

#1. It’s move-in Thursday at the IX Center Christmas Connection. We arrived at the center in two fully-packed vehicles ready to set up our storefront for the three-day event. We brought mom’s two-wheel dolly, the only transporter that didn’t violate the Center’s union rules. Upon arrival, Mary Beth smartly placed a table on the bottom of the dolly to serve as a base, allowing us to secure and transport a lot of items at once using bungy cords. The unloading dock was literally in one corner of the massive center while our booth was in the opposite corner. As Kelly wheeled in the cart, we noticed people staring at us, and Mary Beth thought it was because of her amazing use of the table. In reality, it was because the dolly’s left wheel was slowly coming unhinged (thanks for the warning, people). About one-third of the walk to our booth, the wheel came off completely. We unloaded every darn thing, put the wheel back on as best as we could, reloaded and continued the walk. We repeated this process several times. Mom finally asked another exhibitor to borrow their dolly, which they obliged. It was likely the longest unloading process in the history of IX Center events and the most comical thing anyone has ever seen.

#2. It’s now Sunday, the final day of the show and teardown time. We brought Mary Beth’s dolly this time. And wouldn’t you know it, the SAME DAMN WHEEL on the new dolly fell off. But that’s not all. We helped our neighbor, an artist named Kaaren from Rochester, New York, pack up her space. As Mary Beth was pushing Kaaren’s dolly full of boxes containing glass artwork, her left wheel fell off. We can’t make this stuff up, people. We literally felt that our dad was pulling the ultimate prank on us from heaven. Thanks, Dad.

#3. Despite the wheel issues, the IX Center Christmas Connection was an incredible weekend for us. We set a sales goal for the entire weekend and surpassed it within the first three hours of day one. Needless to say, our Holiday and Winter Collections, which took months to prepare, were hit pretty hard, and we were left scrambling to make new inventory. The success of the event put us in a make-sell-make-sell pattern that we never fully recovered from until we closed for the holidays on December 20! That said, it was a wonderful problem to have, and we thank you so much. And now we know how to better prepare for the 2020 holiday season, we hope!

#4. On the Monday after the IX Center Christmas Connection, we held an open house for our local VIP customers, which ended one hour before our Holiday and Winter Collections launched online. We spent the entire day making new inventory for both the event and the launch. In fact, the party started at 5 p.m. and at 4:30, Mary Beth’s house was a disaster, she was in her bathrobe and mom and Kelly were just leaving to shower and make it back before the first guest arrived. But when that doorbell rang just after 5 p.m., champagne was poured, and no one would have guessed the state of craziness we were in less than an hour before!

#5. As a result of the unexpected demand, we also ran out of our custom earring placards, the kraftpaper cards used to hold finished earrings. And, it would take three weeks for the new ones to arrive. So, mom spent hours taking out-of-season earrings off their cards and reusing those cards for the new earrings.

#6. To prepare for the launch of our Winter and Holiday Collections, we held a photo shoot at a local restaurant and golf course in November. Despite the gorgeous interior, we expected the restaurant and lobby to be decorated for the holidays, providing the perfect backdrop for our shoot. However, there wasn’t even a tree up! Thankfully, the manager carried up a large Christmas tree from the basement, which we dragged all over the place to ensure our backdrop had some holiday cheer!

#7. In December, we had the opportunity to create a custom bulk order for an amazing California-based company. They gave us the creative freedom to design any earring using one or both of their brand colors. Long story short, it took us far too long to create a custom earring that we loved for the client. At one point, Mary Beth was taking selfies of creations and sending them to Mom and Kelly at 3 a.m. as the order had to ship out the next day! However, we put our heads together that next morning, came up with a set we absolutely loved, and prepared the order for shipment, only to discover we had ANOTHER WEEK before the deadline. We laughed (and maybe cried), but it was done, and everyone, including the client, was happy.

#8. We’ve lost count of all of the little things that happened, but there are a few highlights. Like when we received a new shipment of clear, plastic bags used to store and display our earrings, only to discover that the punch holes were all offset. Can you imagine the feeling of seeing your normally perfectly lined rows of earrings all helter-skelter on the displays thanks to the holes not being punched in the center!?

#9. Or, when we found out that our studs were on backorder! Or realized the night before an event that we were completely out of holiday organza bags, so we ordered several hundred more via Amazon pick-up and drove to Akron the next day, on our way to the event!? By the way, has anyone ever done that before? So very cool and organized!

#10. And finally, when your cellular connection is too low and the Wi-Fi connection fails in the middle of an event with a long line of people waiting to ring out. Yep, that happened too. And while it wasn’t fun at the time, we survived. But just barely!

We hope you found some humor in the memories we shared. Because that’s what those now are to us – moments we will never forget, and moments we will learn and grow from. As Mom said, if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry. So, the best thing we could do during all of the uncomfortable moments was laugh.

Despite everything we shared above, we had an amazing first full holiday season with you. Yes, it was stressful and difficult at times, but there were so many things that made us laugh and smile and feel SO very proud to do what we do. So, thank you for laughing with us and for making this perfectly imperfect journey possible.

Cheers,

Mary Beth, Kelly & Carol

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https://featherleatherdesigns.com/blogs/blog-inspired-by-life/live-what-you-love2019-10-22T12:18:00-04:002019-10-24T22:25:56-04:00Live What You LoveMary Beth Holdford"Create a life you love. Engage in relationships that you cherish and do work you are passionate about. Because life is to be enjoyed, not endured. So follow your dreams, embrace change and live what you love." That's what I intend to do.

After 20 years of learning and growing in my field, I officially hit the pause button one week ago today. This wasn’t a decision my family and I made overnight, but is the culmination of conversations, considerations and reflections over many, many months.

For those of you that don’t know a lot about me personally, for the last 12 years, I had the privilege of leading corporate communications for the Americas region of a Fortune Global 500 company. In my role, I worked on projects and assignments I only dreamed about at the start of my career. I had the chance to see parts of the world I likely would have never seen. I met some amazing people from all over the globe, but most importantly, I had the honor of working daily with an incredible boss and team who I call friends.

At the same time, I also had the privilege of having the most important title in the world to me right now, and that’s ‘mom.’ As our three boys continue to grow, our life has become increasingly demanding. To complicate things even more, I started this amazing business with my mom and sister, and that means more to me than I can put into words. For the last year, I’ve admittedly struggled to find the right balance between these competing worlds.

So, on September 12th, my 41st birthday, I resigned from my position, and last Tuesday, I walked out of my office doors for the last time.

Looking ahead, I am thrilled to spend some quality time with my family. I am excited to work even harder with my mom and sister – perhaps during normal business hours!? - to continue to nourish this dream we started one year ago next month. I have plans to help my mom with some projects I simply didn’t have time for before. I’m ready to enjoy the holidays without the stress of travel and work. I hope to meet up with some friends who I haven’t seen in far too long. That’s the plan. Pretty simple, right?

I recognize how fortunate I am to be able to do this, and I’m so appreciative of the support from my former colleagues, friends, family and my husband, Mike. They believe in me and that makes it a little less scary. Most importantly, WE are thankful for all of YOU – our FLD family – for taking a chance on a mom, her daughters and their love for leather earrings. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for all of us.

Last week, my mom gave me the perfect MantraBand, with a card that reads: "Create a life you love. Engage in relationships that you cherish and do work you are passionate about. Because life is to be enjoyed, not endured. So follow your dreams, embrace change and live what you love."

The concept for this blog came to me about a month ago, after reading a Facebook article about how kids change after age 12. (Note to self: don’t read parenting blogs before bed, because that’s all you’ll think about). The cliff notes version of the article was this – kids become real jerks once they turn 12-ish and it lasts for a few years. Awesome.

Since our oldest, Braden, will turn 11 in September, I quickly determined we have less than 18 months with our mostly loveable son. The realization triggered this thought: Mike and I are in a good place right now! Braden still likes us. Our nearly eight-year old, Matthew, is relatively independent. And our youngest, Gavin, is five and pretty self-sufficient, other than needing help with an occasional ‘messy wipe.’

Anyways, this Facebook article, coupled with some supporting observations, prompted this theory – we had arrived at the sweet spot of parenting. One proof point took place at my niece’s 5th birthday party at The Little Gym. I watched Braden – a foot taller and nearly six years older than the kids in the room – participate in the activities without hesitation. The coach jokingly called him the great grandfather of the group. He skipped, crawled and tumbled with kids who were just reaching the fifth finger of their first hand. I adoringly watched him and thought, “Yes, this must be it. We truly are in the sweet spot of parenting. Enjoy it.”

My theory proved true again as I was packing that following week for spring break, a much-anticipated long weekend at the “most magical place on Earth” followed by a Disney cruise. As I packed three boys in just two small suitcases – sans toys, snacks, diapers, wipes, etc. - I thought to myself, “Yes, this must be it. We truly are in the sweet spot of parenting. Enjoy it.”

I expected further proof of my theory to appear during those eight days away. I expected to share stories about how our boys fought over who sat together on the rides they were finally all tall enough to ride. Or how enjoyable our meals were together as a family. Or how Mike and I lounged poolside while the boys frolicked in the pool or ocean together. Because again, this trip should be much easier now that the boys are older, but not too old of course.

Um, no.

Don’t get me wrong. It was a wonderful getaway, but it was not the easy-breezy vacation I expected.

The fact that our boys no longer wear a pull-up to bed or ask us to cut their food into little bites does not mean we avoid whining, crying, arguing or meltdowns. What I learned in those eight days together is this – there is no singular sweet spot. But there are so many moments that make life sweet:

During our four-hour delay in Cleveland, we learned that Braden didn’t complete his journal entries before break. Needless to say, he spent several hours writing six entries that had to fill an entire page. He groaned, complained, scribbled and erased his way through those entries while I encouraged, pushed and corrected him. He was often reminded how his decision impacted not only him, but me. Yet, I don’t know that I’ll ever forget reading his written words: what his goals are for the future; his birthday wish; his favorite smells; and where he wants to visit someday and why (it’s Europe with his parents, so take that Facebook!). As painful as it was, it was also a cool way to get to know him even better.

When we visited Epcot, Test Track was down all day, so we opted to use our FastPass for Soarin’ instead. Of course, Test Track re-opened with a 180-minute wait. We decided to skip it this visit and just let the boys explore the Chevy vehicles at the ride exit. Here, Mike was approached by an employee asking about our experience. After he explained what happened, she offered us all FastPass access! Woot! Everyone was thrilled…except the two younger boys. While we knew Matthew wouldn’t ride, we fully expected Gavin, who we affectionately call the Gavmanian Devil, to love it. Instead, he cried, whined and complained his way through the line. As he was designing his car in the Chevy Design Center, he decided with a shrug, “I wanna to try it." So, he rode with Mike and Braden, then again with me and Braden, thanks to the rider swap program. He would have rode 10 more times if he could have, and I would have followed to experience that ride through his eyes.

On the much-anticipated pirate night on board the cruise, we followed the tip from our waiter to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean show and fireworks from the 12th floor of the ship, starboard side. We headed to our spot about an hour before showtime. I let the boys bring their light-up Jedi swords and had visions of them dueling it out, while we sipped cocktails and enjoyed the ocean breeze. Instead, Matthew had an epic meltdown. He didn’t want to watch the fireworks and wanted to go to the room. Neither Mike nor I would give in because we knew he was scared, and he would love the show (this would mark the third time he’d see it). He cried, yelled, kicked and stomped for a good 50 minutes; it was mortifying. Finally, he calmed down and asked if I would go somewhere else to watch the show instead of on the open deck. We found a place on the level below, protected by glass. I’ll always remember holding him in my lap and watching the fireworks with him. It was a magical moment, even though it wasn’t what I expected.

There are so many more examples of how expectations fell short, yet the challenges of parenting transitioned into memories that will last forever. No one ever said all memories are good ones! What I’ve come to realize is that my theory is wrong. There will never be a singular sweet spot – where all things line up perfectly. Maybe Braden will complete all his work independently, yet no longer reach between the seats for my hand on the Magical Express to thank me for planning the best vacations ever (true story). Maybe Matthew will outgrow his apprehension about everything new and take on the world, or maybe not. Perhaps Gavin will trust his parents when we encourage him to try something new, from thrill rides to other areas of the food pyramid. I won’t hold my breath.

I always say family vacations are simply an opportunity to take kids – along with their good and bad quirks - to a location away from home. That still holds true. There is no magical age where they will do and be all I expect them to be, all at the same time. But there are so many wonderful moments past every twist and turn. And that’s what gives me the courage to continue discovering what’s next for each of them. Because life, and even vacations, are full of sweet spots.

“So yes, this is it. We truly are in the sweet spot of parenting. Enjoy it.”

Until next time,

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https://featherleatherdesigns.com/blogs/blog-inspired-by-life/time2019-03-05T18:14:00-05:002019-06-24T15:48:44-04:00TimeMary Beth Holdford
If the first question people ask me is, “What inspired the creation of Feather Leather Designs?” the second is “How do you find the time?” Read more to understand why and how I find the time.

If the first question people ask me is, “What inspired the creation of Feather Leather Designs?” the second is “How do you find the time?” While I certainly can’t speak for my mom and my sister, this seemed like a relevant and appropriate topic for me to tackle in our second blog.

It’s no surprise that people ask me that question. On paper, starting a new business isn't something you’d expect from a full-time working mom. But in order to understand the how, let me tell you more about the why.

Staying active and busy is part of my DNA. I have never, ever, sat still. My parents would tell you that I would neither go to sleep early nor sleep in late out of fear of ‘missing out on something.’ (Side note: My college roommates know, however, that theory didn’t apply to my 8 a.m. corporate finance class!)

But truly, I’ve always been someone who thrives on a demanding lifestyle. When I was starting out my career, a mentor told me that I need to be a duck…appear calm and confident on the surface even when I’m kicking like hell underwater to stay afloat. This metaphor fits me perfectly. I feel most in control of life when life is on the verge of spinning out of control. I hope that paradox resonates with someone else reading this!

So how does this 40-year-old mom, wife, corporate leader, entrepreneur, volunteer and fitness junkie “find the time?” The simplest answer is – because I make time. We all have hours in our day that we fill with whatever it is we choose. For me, I make time for the activities and people I love; the same way other working moms, stay-at-home moms, single moms, wish-you-were-moms, and moms of moms find the time to do the things they need to do to feel whole.

I can’t pretend to have all the answers, nor that anything I’m doing is right, but here is what keeps me going:

I depend on my village. I am so fortunate to have a strong network of people I love and trust, who are willing to jump in and help or be a confidant. In fact, I am writing this blog as I spend a week in Europe for work. The things that I traditionally shepherd continue to move forward without me – at home, at work and with FLD. That’s because I am surrounded by family and friends who have my back and would do anything to help, just as I would do for them. So, cultivate your tribe - or at least identify your two or three go-to people - and love them hard and lean on them when needed.

I am committed to organization. I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to be organized. I was Marie Kondo-ing since I was a little girl. But thoughtfully organizing to-do lists, schedules and physical stuff is what keeps me focused and sane. An app called Hub Family Organizer, a shared calendar/shopping list/tasklist system, was a game-changer for our family. But everyone is different. Find a system that works for you, and don’t beat yourself up if organization isn’t your thing. There are amazing resources and people out there who can help (like my friend Maria Baer of The Baer Minimalist).

I make time for me. For me, that’s my workout. I am at my best when I carve an hour out of my day to sweat – it’s as good for my mental health as it is for my physical health. For others, it may be a short walk, a quiet cup of coffee and a book, or a manicure. Whatever it is that helps you be your best self, make time for it. Because you matter, too.

I say no more often. Kind of. This is one of the hardest words to say but one of the most powerful. When faced with a choice, I've learned to place that choice into one of four categories – have to, nice to, no way and “no but.” The first three are rather straight forward, but the last one requires more explanation. The “no but” refers to things that I’d like to do but don’t have the time or resources to do well. Rather than saying no, I say “no, but...” In a recent example, I was asked to serve as chair of a board committee I helped to create. While I absolutely believed in its mission and charter, I knew it wasn’t the right choice for me or my family right now. But rather than saying no, I said “no, but here’s what I can do.” It’s a fantastic way to offer support, but on your own terms.

I give myself grace. Despite my best efforts, life can still spin out of control. I make mistakes, miss deadlines, forget a school form or library book, you name it. There are days full of emotion and fear and questioning. There are arguments and shuffling and scrambling. But those are just moments - tiny knots along a very long rope. These moments teach us, push us and change us. And we get back up, we give ourselves grace, and we move forward. Because what other choice do we have?

And finally, I drink coffee. Lots of coffee.

That’s it, everyone. I am the metaphorical duck. I am a typical first born, type A, recovering Virgo perfectionist. But there are no super powers here. No special elixirs or secret sauces. I find the time because I want to. I create this state of busyness because it’s who I am and what makes me feel fulfilled. Because I believe in the things I do, the relationships I create and the outcomes I help to deliver.

Time is valuable, there is no doubt about that. But time is also limited. Spend that time doing what you love, with and for the people you love and who love you. Because that’s what really matters.

People ask me all the time, what inspired the creation of Feather Leather Designs? It’s an easy answer, really. Just look at the title of our blog and our brand statement. But I’m happy to elaborate.

For as long as I can remember, I was always dreaming up a new business idea. I would develop the plan in my head. I would name it and visualize its look and feel. I’d share the ideas with family and friends. For something that required bricks and mortar, I would go as far as looking for locations and meeting with real estate agents. The closest I ever got to following my entrepreneurial spirit was making snowmen out of Christmas trees after college and personalizing them with décor for family and friends. But I never truly moved anything forward. Mostly because it was too risky and, let’s be honest, I was afraid to fail.

So, to actually own a real business, in partnership with two of the most important women in my life, is quite simply a dream come true.

It started last fall while shopping with my mom, Carol, and my sister, Kelly. I purchased my first pair of leather earrings. My mom and sister both passed, because they were too expensive. Meanwhile, I fell in love. I started to look into how I could make them on my own. I read and researched. I ordered supplies. I planned to make a set for my sister for her birthday and for my mom, who is allergic to nickel and cannot wear heavy earrings (her oldest daughter may have pulled on an earring as a baby and split her mom’s lobe nearly in half).

Instead of presenting them with earrings, I asked my mom and sister to come over for coffee on a Monday night and presented them with a plan. Four days later, on Nov. 30, 2018, Kelly’s actual birthday, we launched our partnership, Feather Leather Designs. In two months, we have established our brand and created more than 1,000 earrings with more in development. We have a growing social presence and an online store. We forged new partnerships and conducted a real photo shoot. And we held our first, but definitely not last, pop-up shop. Wow. It’s funny what happens when you’re inspired.

But what was it that inspired all of this? Well certainly, the product itself. We believe that every woman should be able to say yes to purchasing something that is life-changing. We wanted to provide women of all ages with a lightweight, stylish and affordable leather earring. We are inspired by the feedback from our customers. Women who have said they couldn’t wear earrings until now. Moms who view our earrings as a protective measure for their young daughters. Others who share how much more confident they feel when they wear their FLDs (yes, we lovingly refer to our product as an acronym now!).

Simply put, our brand is inspired by life. It's driven by the people and events that surround us, by life’s biggest moments and the everyday minutia. It stands for taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone (like wearing a large earring instead of small!). It’s about chasing dreams and believing that anything is possible. Because let’s face it, life is too short. So rather than lying in bed dreaming about “What if...,” I said “Why not?”. And thankfully, my mom and sister (and our families!) were with me.

I was inspired yet again this week, when the three of us presented Feather Leather Designs to the Promotional Production class at Cleveland State, taught by my good friend, Dr. Beth Thomas. Her senior class is partnering with FLD, as we will serve as the “client” for their capstone project. These students knocked our FLDs off with their enthusiasm, knowledge and ideas. They agreed that a brand like ours needs a blog. I cringed a bit at the idea, and said that likely wouldn’t happen...

I published my first blog, “Cheers for Chuck,” on May 4, 2016, shortly after my dad was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. It was a way for me to keep our family and friends updated, and it was the primary way I processed my feelings – the sadness and fear, the hope and appreciation. The blog ended just five months later, on Oct. 8, when I posted the final tributes Kelly and I shared at his funeral. While people encouraged me to continue to write, I never thought I’d blog again. It was as painful as it was therapeutic. I didn’t miss it, I just missed my dad.

Yet, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the idea tossed out by the CSU class - about how good the actual process of sharing what’s on my mind made me feel and how it helped me to relate to others in ways I never thought possible. But I questioned what we’d write about and how often we had to write. I wondered if anyone would even care about what we had to say. But rather than lying in bed thinking about it, I got started. And here we are.

So, the topics and frequency are a bit uncertain at this point. I’m okay with that, I hope you are too. I’ll certainly ask my mom and sister to contribute, but if they don’t, that’s okay too. Perhaps you’ll read about earrings and fashion, a funny or stressful parenting moment, or a story shared from a valued customer. Perhaps you’ll hear from us next week, or next month. We shall see.

As a Type A person who needs to have it all planned out, I’m becoming increasingly comfortable with the unknown and not having all the answers. The only thing I can guarantee our readers is that our blog will be authentic and, like our brand, inspired by life.